Dr Kristie Bloom is a scientist at the Wits/SAMRC

Antiviral Gene Therapy Research Unit at the University of

the Witwatersrand. Her research focuses on nextgeneration vaccine technologies, particularly mRNA-based

vaccines for tuberculosis. She works on understanding how

specialised immune responses, especially tissue-resident

memory T-cells in the lungs, can improve protection against

TB infection. Her work forms part of broader efforts to

strengthen African-led biomedical innovation and develop

locally relevant vaccine solutions for major infectious

diseases.